Melissa is General Counsel at AgDevCo, an impact investor dedicated to building a thriving commercial agriculture sector in Sub-Saharan Africa that benefits both people and planet. In addition to her work leading on the legal side of transactions entered into by AgDevCo, Melissa is a member of AgDevCo’s senior management team, sits on AgDevCo’s executive committee and chairs AgDevCo’s technical assistance committee. Before AgDevCo, Melissa spent 12 years at Allen & Overy (now A&O Shearman), advising on cross-border banking and restructuring transactions. She founded and led Allen & Overy’s microfinance and social investment group and completed a secondment to Citigroup’s emerging markets desk. Melissa is currently President of GAIL (having been a member of GAIL’s global board since its inception) and sits on GAIL’s UK regional board.